Encounters
by Luthina
Summary: When Ginny leaves the Gryffindor common room in search of some peace and quiet, she doesn't expect to run into Draco Malfoy. Especially not more than once.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

It was easier to run away from her problems than to face them head on. So that's what she did, running out of the common room and heading towards the classrooms that were filled by day and desolate at night. Why these rooms were never locked was beyond her. The offices were sealed, but the classrooms themselves stood wide open. Except for Snape's. He was always sure to lock out mean spirited trouble makers from finding just the right ingredients to finish their hair growth potions. Though that had never stopped Fred and George from getting what they needed.

Ginny was nothing like her brothers and went instead to McGonagall's classroom. It was a calm room even when filled with students and it seemed like just the place to escape from her nagging brother.

It was quiet with a single candle burning on the large desk at the front. Ginny closed the door behind her with a thud and sighed, happy to be somewhere quiet. No older brother or worrying roommates or rattling pipes or crackling fires. Silence: sweet and golden silence. She closed her eyes and enjoyed its engulfing powers.

She jumped suddenly when she heard a scrape at the front of the room. At first, she thought it was McGonagall coming out of her office after some late night grading or having run back to get something. But it was not. It was a student, a blonde student with green accents to his black robes. Ginny had always thought of Malfoy as pale, but his face and eyes were red.

"Get out."

For a moment, she wanted to. She wanted to get away from this person who bore almost no resemblance to the boy she knew and hated. He was so different from the face she had hardened herself against that she forgot how she'd conditioned herself to fight back against him. After all, his father had tried to kill her. She shrank back against the door, hand searching for the handle.

He grabbed the candle and moved toward her, light bouncing off his face and casting strange shadows that intensified the coloring that unnerved Ginny. "I said, get out of here."

His tone was familiar now. Ginny straightened her spine, standing straight and fixing her gaze on his face. She wasn't going to let another member of the Malfoy family boss her around or manipulate her. She had learned the first time.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" He was almost upon her, his oddly red face becoming clearer in the dancing candlelight. She could make out his steel eyes and the wand he was clutching beneath his cloak. "Do you really think you're going to hex me here?"

He didn't slow as he approached her and Ginny didn't back down. He came to a stop so suddenly that his robes brushed her shins but he didn't touch her.

"I said," he repeated, "get out."

His jaw was set and his eyes were red. There were bags beneath his eyes, bruised and dark. He looked older than a sixth year; much older than her nagging brother. She stared into his eyes, not blinking and wondering what he would do when she didn't leave. She felt her wand which was secured in her left pocket but did not draw it. Not yet.

They stayed this way for several seconds; Ginny ready to pounce, Malfoy stopped mid-pounce, hoping he had scared her enough to leave him alone. Whoever moved first lost. They stared.

Draco raised his left hand to wipe at his nose, leaving his wand hand leveled at her. As he drew his hand away, Ginny noticed that his cheeks were red and though his eyes looked dark with exhaustion, they were puffy. The red eyes were not those of an angry enemy. Her brow furrowed in confusion and concern.

Malfoy must have noticed the change on her face because he took it as an opportunity to reach for the door handle and push her aside. "Get out," he said again, pushing her toward the now open door. "If you come back here again, I won't warn you."

Her resistance had faltered and she was pushed ungracefully out of the classroom. Malfoy shut the door quickly, keeping his tear-stained face locked on hers until the wood came between them. Ginny was speechless.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Wasn't it enough that she was nice and attentive and smiling? Did she have to do _everything_ a boy asked her? Of course not, that was ridiculous. She wasn't some dumb Hufflepuff bimbo who would let a boy touch her however he bloody well pleased just so she could wear his jumper and say she had a boyfriend. Why would Dean think that of her?

Ginny didn't want to be consoled. She didn't want to talk about it. Not yet. Now she wanted to be alone and feel bad for herself. Later she would let Hermione talk to her and tell her she did the right thing and rub her shoulder. But not now.

By the time she reached McGonagall's classroom, Ginny couldn't go any further. Her eyes were about to run over and she didn't want to break down in a stone corridor where the sound would echo. She opened the door and when she saw no candle on the desk, went inside. A light on the end of her wand guided her to the front of the room where she sank to the floor behind the large wooden desk. No one entering would see her.

It felt so good to cry; to let the flood of emotions and hatred and disgust flow out of her. She hated Dean, hated herself, hated expectations and assumptions and love. She hugged her knees to herself and enjoyed the steady pressure of her own body. She was through with men, through with letting someone get close to her who would defy her trust and hurt her. No one would ever make her feel this way again.

Over her own sobs, she didn't hear the scrape of the door opening, but she did hear the click of shoes on stone as someone walked down the classroom aisle toward her. Ginny grabbed her wand, raising it toward a faint light she saw approaching her. Her fingers were crossed that McGonagall wasn't coming to give her detention for being out of her room after hours.

His face appeared suddenly and stopped short, just as he had done before. The ends of his robes touched her knees, but he stayed a foot away. Anger pulled his eyebrows down toward his nose and his steel eyes bore into hers. Ginny stood up quickly, pointing her wand at Malfoy's chest, mirroring him. For a second time, they stood this way, neither of them moving.

"I told you not to come back here."

"It's a classroom, Malfoy. You can't lay claim over a classroom."

"Get out."

Anger welled in Ginny's chest. "I was here first."

"And I'm here now. Get out."

She didn't move.

"Did you just come here to cry, Weasley? Are you sad that your family's so piss poor?"

"Don't pretend you weren't here crying last time, Malfoy."

His eyes narrowed. "Don't tell lies."

"I know what I saw." Ginny raised her wand confidently and Malfoy followed. "Your eyes were red and I saw tears-"

"Silence!" he hissed. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I won't be silenced by a Malfoy." Ginny could still feel wet tears on her cheeks, but she was snarling. This family had done enough to her already and she wouldn't hear of it again.

He stepped closer to her, almost touching her with his wand. He was taller than her and leaned over her so that she had to look up to keep their eyes locked.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Weasley. And you don't know who you're talking to. If you know what's good for you, you'll get out of here and find a new place to scurry off to when you're rat of a brother is bothering you at night. Get out."

She didn't move. "You don't know everything, Malfoy."

"And neither do you."

He shifted his weight and Ginny noticed a large volume tucked under his left arm. He seemed to be keeping it out of her sight as much as possible. When she looked down at it, he turned so that it was out of her line of vision.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing at the book with her free hand.

"Homework," he said.

"Liar."

"Don't you_ dare_ accuse me of lying."

"You're lying right now."

Malfoy shifted again, bettering his grip on the book and raising his wand to her head. "Say I'm lying one more time."

"What's it called then?" Ginny didn't want to push her luck. "The book, what's the title?"

"It's a Dark Arts textbook for NEWT students."

"It doesn't look like the one Hermione uses."

His eyes narrowed. "Special project." He put the book down on McGonagall's desk. It was massive and Ginny suspected he couldn't hold it in such an awkward way any longer. The front cover didn't have any words stamped into the green leather. Ginny reached out to open the cover, but Malfoy grabbed her wrist. "It's time you went to bed, Weasley."

Ginny thought about going back to the common room. Dean would be there, waiting in an armchair and wanting to talk to her, to explain that he didn't mean it and that she should give him another chance. He was a good guy, deep down. It was a load of dragon dung.

"No. I'm not going back."

"Well," Malfoy said as his eyes narrowed, "you're not staying here."

Ginny turned away from him and strode to a front row desk where she sat down and crossed her arms, glaring at Draco.

"I think I'll stay, actually. Right here."

Malfoy's face twitched slightly and Ginny wondered if he was resisting the urge to yell at her. He was no longer a prefect and couldn't rat her out without turning himself in so she sat. He turned away and Ginny felt an uneasiness rising in her stomach that she had learned to trust. It was a feeling she'd had for the first time in the Department of Mysteries and it was a feeling she always trusted. Her fingers wrapped around her wand.

When Malfoy turned with wand raised, Ginny was ready. She ducked under the desk, narrowly avoiding a flash of light. From under the table, she found Malfoy's feet and fired her own charm.

"_Expelliarmus!_" A tinkling sound told her that the charm had been successful and Malfoy's wand had flown from his hand. She stood quickly and leveled her wand at his chest. "What curse was that?" she growled.

Malfoy's face was twisted in anger. He remained silent.

"I could have you expelled from this school in a moment, Malfoy, so tell me. What curse was that?"

"Stunning spell," he grumbled. "I was going to drag you out of here."

"That eager to be alone?"

He snarled but said nothing.

"I could hex you right now. I could stun you myself and take a look at this book of yours." She reached a hand toward the volume and despite the wand at his chest, Malfoy grabbed her wrist again. "Someone's feeling brave." She pushed the wand tip into his jumper.

He let her wrist go.

"Grab your wand and leave," Ginny said. "Unless you want me to read this book." She did want to read it, now that she saw the extent Malfoy would go to in order to keep it hidden. Weighing her options, it seemed better to skip the late night reading in favor of avoiding a hex.

Keeping eye contact, Malfoy grabbed the leather book from McGonagall's desk and turned his back on Ginny. She was tempted to stun him anyway and see what the book was about, but restrained herself. Malfoy picked up his wand and walked toward the door. He only looked back to shoot her a frustrated glare over his shoulder and pulled the door shut behind him.

Ginny leaned back against McGonagall's desk. She didn't feel like crying anymore. Her hands were shaking from tension instead of distress. She had made him back down. She had taken control of the situation and won. All of the sudden, facing Dean in the common room didn't seem so bad. She picked up the candle Malfoy had left on the desk and carried it with her as she left the abandoned room. She felt ready to face another enemy.

*****A/N-** Thanks to those who read chapter 1 and are still here. I have an idea of where this is going but don't know how long of a story it will be. Special thanks to **ManonVarendaz, Laramariani**, and a Guest for leaving comments. I love writing fanfiction because of the supportive community and your words are appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

He was waiting for her this time. But Ginny knew he would be. The hex came at her as she opened the door, but her _Protego_ was ready. She strode into the room, wand raised, ready to disarm him again should it be necessary.

He was seated at the large wooden desk, the green leather-bound book open before him. Once again, his eyes were red but his face was dry. It wasn't that Ginny was trying to catch him crying, but she was curious.

"You come here often, Malfoy?"

Ginny noticed him preparing to fire another curse at her and cast another _Protego_ to counter him. A rude curse word left his mouth moments after the spell left his wand.

"I'm not leaving, Malfoy."

"You must be daft, Weasley. Why are you trying to provoke me?"

"I'm not."

"Get out."

"You can keep saying that, but it doesn't mean I'm going to leave." The idea of going back to the common room, back to Dean staring at her or Collin whining or Hermione nagging her was too much. She preferred fending off Malfoy's hexes.

"Why do you keep coming here?" He grumbled, slamming the cover of the book shut.

Ginny bit her lip, unable to answer that well. It was, in theory, a good place to get away for a bit. But in practice, it had been difficult to find that peace with Draco Malfoy always in the room.

"To get away."

"From?"

She didn't answer.

"From your stupid brother? From that filthy mudblood, Granger? From your dim-witted half-blood boyfriend? From-"

"_Tarantallegra!_"

Ginny was mad, but not mad enough to harm him. He spewed the same curse word as his legs took off underneath him, dancing this way and that. He tried once to fire another hex at Ginny but with the sudden leap and spin his dancing legs took, the curse struck five feet from Ginny. She had to laugh.

"Hope that will teach you to insult my family, Malfoy." She smirked, seeing Malfoy's eyes narrow. To taunt him further, she moved toward the front of the classroom to the book he had left sitting on the large desk.

"Don't touch that, Weasley!"

"Don't insult my family, Malfoy."

She reached out, touching the leather cover. If he was going to provoke her, she would repay the favor. The cover was heavy and she was only able to lift it a few inches with her index finger. Before she could grab it with her whole hand, she heard the erratic clapping of Malfoy's feet stop and a steady _clip-clap_ of his shoes as he rushed toward her.

Malfoy slammed his hand in the middle of the cover, closing it with a thud and taking Ginny off guard.

"Isn't it enough that you're always meddling in your brother's life? Do you have to meddle in mine as well? Go back to snogging your half-breed boyfriend and leave me alone."

"He's not my boyfriend," Ginny said irritably. "Not anymore."

"Aw, did little Dean-y dump you? Is that why you were here crying all alone? Because no one loves you? Grow up, Weasley. There are worse things in this world."

"Like you?" Ginny's mind was filled with the memory of when Dean had touched her and when he wouldn't stop and when she had run away from him to come here.

He grinned. "Exactly."

"Well, I'm not sure if you are worse than him or not." She brought her hands away from the book and stood with them at her sides. "You were right about him being dim-witted. Though I'm not sure how half-blood is an insult."

Malfoy lowered his head, keeping his gaze fixed on her in a way that was either seductive or menacing. Ginny couldn't tell which.

"Insulting him is not going to make me like you any more, Ginevra."

"I'm not asking you to, _Draco._"

He smirked. "I didn't realize we were on a first name basis. Now I feel oh so bad about telling you to get out."

"Don't make me hex you again, Malfoy."

"Is that why you keep coming here? To practice dueling with me? I bet I'm a fair partner compared to what you've faced before."

"I've faced your father before if that's what you mean?"

Ginny's remark struck where she'd hope it would. "How dare you speak about my father? You know nothing, _nothing_ about what you speak of."

"I know I saw him shooting killing curses at me last year. Isn't that enough?"

Malfoy narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to her. "My father is a great man."

"Who's ended up in Azkaban for attacking under aged wizards. Is that what great men do nowadays?"

She felt the sharp tip of his wand in her stomach before she could see it. "You don't know what you are talking about." His loud whisper echoed through the stone room.

Ginny gulped, outmatched for the first time.

"Get out."

She took a step back, not turning her back on him. She wouldn't put it past him to send a curse on an unarmed wizard who was walking away from a fight. She wouldn't put it past any Death Eater to do that. The door closed behind her with a final_ thump_.

****AN-** Hi all. Sorry for the long delay. I was on vacation and now I'm coming up on the end of the semester so things have picked up. Anyway, I hope to keep this moving forward though it may be an irregular pace. I'm always one chapter ahead if what I post so do know I have a plan for this one.

**bigreader-** Great to see you around these parts again! As always, thanks for the encouragement.

**MyLadyElsie-** Thanks so much for your reviews! It's always such a blessing to get reviews as encouraging as yours. I hope you're not disappointed in this chapter!

**Guest **and **steel gray-** Thanks for your reviews and encouragement!

Please leave a review and I'll include you in my thanks. Until next time, write on.


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